The Lookbook: Sultry Smoke

The smokey eye is, by far, one of the most loved beauty looks. I am a big fan, however from time to time I like to keep a smokey eye soft and simple. By outlining the entire eye with a black eye pencil and gently blending outwards with a small shader brush, I am able to create a soft but sultry look that can be worn during the day, as well as the evening.

Skincare:
- Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster
- Antipodes Rejoice Light Facial Day Cream
- Elizabeth Arden Flawless Future Eye Gel
- DHC Lip Cream

Makeup:

- Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat Illuminating Foundation in BD20

- Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Light Golden

- Cover FX Illuminator in Moonlight

- DHC Mascara Perfect Pro Double Protection

- Nars Brow Perfector in Caucase

- MAC Pleasureseeker Lipstick

- ModelCo Eye Define Eye Pencil

- MAC The Perfect Cheek Blush

Tools:
- Smashbox Telephoto 3-In-1 Face Brush

- Real Techniques Blush Brush
- Bobbi Brown Eye Brow Brush

- MAC 234 Split Fibre Eye Blending Brush
- Kiko Eyes 207

Now it's time to show me your 'Sultry Smoke' makeup look. Just Tweet or Instagram me your #lookbookselfie!

Wednesday Wisdom: Tina Fey

“If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?”

The Tuesday Tip: Rewarding Recycling!

Coming to the end of a great beauty product is never a good thing, however if you purchased the product from a particular brand, you may be able to recycle it for a little reward!

Big global beauty brands like MAC, Khiel's and Lush offer great rewards for recycling - most often letting customers exchange empty products for a free gift. Now, this isn't a new thing and it is certainly no secret, however it's surprising just how many people don't know about it!

When it comes to MAC, six empty primary packaging containers will get you a free MAC lipstick. You can either bring the products in store or organise everything online. Khiel's are a little more demanding - the brand requires 10 empty full-sized bottles in exchange for one travel collection product of your choice. Finally, the good people at Lush will reward you with one fresh face mask of your choosing, so long as you bring them just five empty black pots!

So the next time you go to bin a beauty product, think again! As recycling it in store may be rewarding for you and  the environment!

Weekly Worship: Bieber, Smashbox and Stila

I always struggle choosing one product to worship each week as, fortunately, I try a lot of great beauty products throughout each month. So this week I've switched things up and will show you not one, but three  things I've been loving this week...

Price: £24.00 / $36.00 30ml

Stockist: Boots / Sephora

I have wanted to try the Stila One Step Correct for a while as I suffer from dark circles and slight redness. So a few weeks ago I bit the bullet and gave it a try...thank God I did.

This triple swirl helix primer combines lavender, peach and green tones that neutralise redness, conceal spots and pigmentation, counteract sallow undertones and brighten the skin. Not only does this beauty wonder do an amazing job at hiding imperfections, reducing redness and brightening the skin, it also doubles as the perfect primer. It reduces fine lines, wrinkles and pores, creating a super smooth base for makeup application, and it also gives makeup some serious lasting power - which is an added bonus!

Price: £24.00 30ml

Stockist: Boots

Justin Bieber Collector's Edition launched this week and I'm surprised to say that I really love it! The eau de parfum contains top notes of bergamot, pear and passionfruit, mid notes of honeysuckle, freesia and heliotrope and base notes of golden amber, white musk, sandalwood and apricot nectar. The result of this medley is a fresh, floral and fruity daytime scent that has real staying power. Nice work Biebs!

Price: £39.00 / $ 39.00

Stockist: smashbox.co.uk / ULTA

Smashbox's latest beauty tool, the Telephoto 3-in-1 Face Brush, is a dual-fiber, multi-tasking brush that expands out to provide three different coverage levels - full, medium and sheer. No matter what foundation you use, this brush lives up to its promise - you'll get a light, natural coverage with the 'sheer' brush and a maximum flawless coverage with the 'full'. All you have to do is rotate the base until you click into the brush you need, very simple.

I always work to achieve a full coverage foundation look, so this brush rarely rotates! The full brush is dense and firm, yet soft enough to access those harder-to-reach areas of the face. It blends foundation seamlessly and provides a gorgeous even finish. This little guy is now an essential part of my makeup routine and when he is not in my makeup bag, he's travelling with me in my handbag. I'm obsessed!

News: #Essietogo

The beauty vending machine is not a new concept, however the rumours of an Essie vending machine still got me pretty freakin excited! So I'm very  happy to announce that those rumours were true...

This month, the much-loved nail brand launched the Essie Color Boutique - a nail polish vending machine that will be available in select airports and malls across North America.

Each Color Boutique will be stocked with a total of 42 shades from the core Essie range, along with six seasonal colours that will be switched up every time a new collection launches. Users can also choose from among eight curated nail art looks, which link to a 'how to' application guide.

So you can now feel safe in the knowledge that the next time you have a chipped manicure (or no manicure at all!), a solution won't be far from your fingertips!